Room-temperature wet synthesis of bismuth(III) nitrate from bismuthinite: a thermodynamics-based communication

Abstract

Bismuth(III) nitrate (Bi(NO₃)₃) has pharmaceutical applications and is usually produced from elemental bismuth dissolution in nitric acid (HNO₃). However, if bismuthinite (Bi₂S₃), which is one of the main minerals of bismuth, is used to produce elemental bismuth, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) are produced, which are three of the air pollutants considered the most serious threats to human health and welfare. This communication takes a thermodynamic approach to examine and then suggests an environmentally friendlier procedure to produce Bi(NO₃)₃: the direct dissolution of Bi₂S₃ in 1 M HNO₃ at room temperature (25 °C).

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Bismuth
• bismuthinite
• dissolution
• nitric acid